There is market pressure for finding more convenient ways to reach out to consumers and to initiate a financial transaction with the consumer. There is also market pressure for finding more convenient ways to conduct financial transactions between: (1) individuals, (2) individuals and businesses, and (3) two or more businesses once a transaction has been initiated.
Hand-held computing devices capable of wireless communications now have the ability to read encoded display identifier details (e.g., camera enabled mobile phones that can be programmed to act as bar code readers) and have the ability to be programmed to automatically identify products based on read bar codes (e.g., the Red Laser® application on an iPhone®). Some companies, such as NTT Data Corp., suggest attaching bar code labels on invoices to facilitate input of account information through a camera-enabled mobile telephone because entry of long account numbers can be difficult on a telephone interface. Hand-held computing devices are also capable of controlling a computer from a remote location, but rely on specific software to be running on both systems and levels of authentication and user input. These measures do not fill the need envisioned by the present inventors.